"Thank you team for solving it" - Real Madrid star sends apology to fans after Manchester City win

Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos has apologized to his team and fans for conceding a penalty during their 3-2 win against Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round. The win at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (February 11) was their second successive win against the Premier League giants in two consecutive Champions League seasons.

Manchester City got an early lead (19'), courtesy of an Erling Haaland masterclass. In the 60th minute, Kylian Mbappe equalized after the Frenchman was left unmarked inside the penalty box following a Madrid freekick.

Dani Ceballos made a dangerous tackle on Phil Foden in the 80th minute, causing the referee to award an immediate penalty to the hosts. Erling Haaland made no mistake from the spot and converted to make it 2-1 for Pep Guardiola's side. However, Los Blancos scripted a late comeback with goals from Brahim Diaz (86') and Jude Bellingham (90'+2') to end the first leg 3-2 in their favor.

After the game, Dani Ceballos took to Instagram to issue an apology to Madridistas for giving away a penalty at a crucial moment. He also thanked his teammates for covering up for his oversight. In the comments section of an Instagram post, he wrote (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):

"I'm sorry for my mistake, thank you team for solving it like that. Together is so much easier. See you at the Santiago Bernabéu."

Except for the penalty, Ceballos had a good game at the Etihad. The 28-year-old Spaniard had a passing accuracy of 96%(46/48) and was a crucial component in the Real Madrid midfield. He also produced an inch-perfect lobbed assist to Kylian Mbappe in the 60th minute, helping Los Merengues equalize.

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"It was a weird one" - Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham comments after close win against Manchester City

Jude Bellingham - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off First Leg - Source: Getty

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham shared his thoughts after his side mounted a late comeback to register a 3-2 win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. In an interview after the game, the Englishman said (via Madrid Xtra on X):

"We played well. It was a weird one, we started good and then found ourselves behind. We had many chances and finally took them. My goal? I just kept running. We deserved to win."

Jude Bellingham has been one of the shining stars for Real Madrid in the Champions League this season despite their struggles in the competition. The English midfielder has registered five goal contributions in Real Madrid's last four Champions League fixtures.

Madrid will gear up to face Pep Guardiola's side again in the second leg of the UCL knockout playoffs on February 19 at Santiago Bernabeu. However, they will lock horns with Osasuna in LaLiga before that, on Saturday (February 15).